In recent years, wireless local area networks (LANs) representative of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 have been widely used. Further, along with this, wireless LAN compatible products (hereinafter also referred to simply as “communication devices”) have also increased. Here, many wireless LAN compatible products are mobile communication terminals. Since mobile communication terminals have limited opportunities to receive power supply from the outside, it is preferable that power consumption be suppressed.
For example, a method of reducing power consumption of a communication device operating as a station (STA) (hereinafter also referred to simply as “STA”) by storing information designating a transmission type of communication in a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) header is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. Specifically, the information indicating the transmission type is stored in the PLCP header. The STA which has received the PLCP header puts itself in a sleep mode without receiving a portion subsequent to the PLCP header in a case in which the transmission type does not indicate transmission to the STA such as downlink transmission, direct link transmission, or broadcast transmission. Accordingly, the power consumption of the STA is considered to be reduced.